sojourner
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2012
- Location
- Humboldt county and Asia Pacific
It's been quiet around here so I figured nobody would complain about seeing a few dead blacktails. I had great dreams about taking at least one buck on a backpack hunt this year but it wasn't to happen. I spent a few days in one of our northern California wilderness areas during archery season but the only buck I saw was a nice one that walked through my camp at night.
Since my wife is pregnant and we are only stateside for a few months I couldn't spend all my time away in the wilderness. We are staying at my parents place and they have 25 acres surrounded by a number of larger properties. We've kiled bucks there over the years but usually just little forks. The evening of august 24 I sat in a tree stand I hung on their property 3 years ago but have never seen a buck out of. Right at last light I heard foot steps coming and a nice buck stepped out from some small firs at 25 yards. It was pretty dark because I was in the thick woods and as I drew and released I realized I hadn't really picked a spot. He was slightly quartering toward me but I still felt I hit him pretty good. I heard him crash off down into a creek bed, then double back and then head straight away and then silence. I waited 45 minutes and then went looking. The blood trail was good and I found this nice lung blood.
I figured I'd find him really quick. Long story short, I lost the trail, went back in the morning picked it up and lost it again. It was heading straight down hill but when the trail hit an open pasture it disappeared. I assumed he kept going straight down but couldn't find any more blood. After a total of about 8 hours of searching I had to give up. A week later I was seeing a bunch of vultures so I went down there. As I approached where the vultures were I could smell something dead. All of a sudden a bear stood up 25 yards in front of me. She had a cup with here and I had to yell and throw rocks to get them to go away. My buck had done a complete u-turn where I lost the trail and headed back up hill into a steep rocky area. He must have had enough life left to look for a safe place to get away. I had assumed he was in a death rush heading straight down hill. It was bittersweet and the meat was lost, but I was glad he was dead.
By far the biggest buck we've taken on my parents property.
all cleaned up:
Since my wife is pregnant and we are only stateside for a few months I couldn't spend all my time away in the wilderness. We are staying at my parents place and they have 25 acres surrounded by a number of larger properties. We've kiled bucks there over the years but usually just little forks. The evening of august 24 I sat in a tree stand I hung on their property 3 years ago but have never seen a buck out of. Right at last light I heard foot steps coming and a nice buck stepped out from some small firs at 25 yards. It was pretty dark because I was in the thick woods and as I drew and released I realized I hadn't really picked a spot. He was slightly quartering toward me but I still felt I hit him pretty good. I heard him crash off down into a creek bed, then double back and then head straight away and then silence. I waited 45 minutes and then went looking. The blood trail was good and I found this nice lung blood.
I figured I'd find him really quick. Long story short, I lost the trail, went back in the morning picked it up and lost it again. It was heading straight down hill but when the trail hit an open pasture it disappeared. I assumed he kept going straight down but couldn't find any more blood. After a total of about 8 hours of searching I had to give up. A week later I was seeing a bunch of vultures so I went down there. As I approached where the vultures were I could smell something dead. All of a sudden a bear stood up 25 yards in front of me. She had a cup with here and I had to yell and throw rocks to get them to go away. My buck had done a complete u-turn where I lost the trail and headed back up hill into a steep rocky area. He must have had enough life left to look for a safe place to get away. I had assumed he was in a death rush heading straight down hill. It was bittersweet and the meat was lost, but I was glad he was dead.
By far the biggest buck we've taken on my parents property.
all cleaned up:
